LA Restaurants Play the Game

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Grouse at Patina. | Photo by Lauren Noble

By Tara de Lis
For dineLA.com

Elks, and rabbits and boars! Oh my! It makes sense that Los Angeles is getting into game. It’s a natural progression from the city’s current obsession with innards—it’s still almost impossible to open a menu without seeing beef cheeks or pork belly—which in itself dovetailed from the sexy steakhouse trend of the mid-aughts.  
So, what makes game so great? It’s a new experience for many (food curiosity has never been higher) and offers nostalgia for British and European expats or anyone who grew up in hunting families. Though some game is available year-round, autumn is considered the peak season for it.



When it comes to game in Los Angeles, Saddle Peak Lodge is the standard bearer. While its storied history may or may not have included visits by Ernest Hemingway and his cronies, this Malibu Canyon favorite is still plenty macho. (Exhibit A: the various animal trophy heads mounted above eager diners diving into their kin.) The menu is populated by an ever-changing line-up of antelope, elk, boar, quail and rabbit. For the best experience, order the wild game trio entrée, which includes the chef’s nightly choices of three different meats sometimes unavailable a la carte.  

The restaurant has been a launching pad for talented LA chefs like Adam Horton (now at Raphael in Studio City), Warren Schwartz (Westside Tavern) and Josie Le Balch, who often features game specials at her namesake Santa Monica restaurant. Valley-born Christopher Kufek, only 27 years old, is now at the helm, and realizes he’s got a lot to live up to. He’s remarkably humble, not just because of his lauded predecessors, but because of the restaurant’s price points (signature entrees are around $50).

“I definitely feel the pressure working in a restaurant with such a long history of talented chefs … The important thing when cooking for guests is to realize these folks work hard, and when they come to the restaurant they are rewarding themselves. More likely than not, they have been looking forward to this meal for days, if not weeks, and all they want is a great experience,” Kufek confides.



Josie Le Balch was at Saddle Peak Lodge for two stints, from 1985 to 1989, and again from 1995 to 1998. In September 2011, she opened Next Door by Josie, a friendly gastropub adjacent to her namesake restaurant in Santa Monica. The two spaces share a kitchen, and both benefit from thorough butchery. While the Josie side may run more expensive cuts of venison like a saddle or medallions, there are leftovers available for the Next Door menu. Enter the venison country paté, which also includes a mix of veal meat and pork fat, and is best enjoyed with a dollop of Dijon-based mustard and pinch of Maldon sea salt. It’s a variation of the recipe Le Balch learned from her father at Chef Gregoire in Sherman Oaks, where she first cooked as a kid.

On the big plates menu, the steamed mussels are a must-order. Bathed in an aromatic coconut curry, the sturdy but silky mollusks are served with chunks of house-made elk chorizo, providing a hearty element to the dish. She came up with the idea while catering parties for a client who hunts (though Le Balch has a reputation as the ‘game queen,’ she doesn’t participate in the sport). The meals typically involve five or six courses, and Le Balch likes to “to do something different each time, and use all the parts.”



Patina features seasonal game and fowl each fall. Because grouse is more difficult to source in the States, Patina is just about the only place in LA where the Scottish bird makes an annual appearance. For executive chef Tony Esnault’s version, the prep time is labor-intensive and the ingredients exquisite. The grouse, along with foie gras, is wrapped in fat before cooking, and then served on a bed of savoy cabbage fondue with an earthy truffle jus. Esnault, who is French and grew up on game, says, “I love it, and I want to carry on the tradition. [Regular] customers come in and want to try all the different game dishes. [The manager] calls to let them know when they are in.” There are now about 15 names on file, and the list is growing.

At WeHo steakhouse BOA, one of the most popular cuts of steak isn’t beef, it’s ostrich. Though it's considered poultry, ostrich is also technically red meat. Brent Berkowitz, IDG Director of Development, describes it as “a gateway protein to the world of game.” He continues, “When we first offered ostrich, we couldn’t give it away; today we can’t buy enough. … Game has always enjoyed a small but ferociously loyal following, [but] with the rise of its [mainstream] popularity, small ranchers have been unable to keep up. In attempts to enlighten our guests on different game, and circumvent supply issues, we will now start offering a Game of the Week. Ostrich will definitely play a starring role, and will share the limelight with other health conscious and responsibly ranched game such as elk, bison, and venison.”

At the Langham Hotel in Pasadena, flagship restaurant The Royce occasionally features game dishes on its seasonal menus. Two such specials are the partridge pie (a playful take on shepherd’s pie with foie gras stuffing) and the classic French winter hare “ragu” with a finishing sauce that includes both chocolate and rabbit blood.



For Piccolo chef Roberto “Bobo” Ivan, game is something he holds dear. One of his first jobs was at a restaurant in Veneto called Capriolo (the Italian word for venison). The approach was quite old-fashioned, and all of the cuisine was based on game and fowl. Ivan says, “I learned a lot of recipes and cooking techniques that were passed on from generations of the chef/owner’s family. … What [impressed] me was that the dishes weren’t heavy, but so rich in flavor." Piccolo, which he describes as his “own baby,” turned out to be the perfect place to replicate some of these experiences.

In fact, there’s so much great game available here that it can be overwhelming. That said, with advance notice, the restaurant can accommodate guests who want to experience an all-game tasting menu. Some highlights are the surprisingly sturdy pan-seared squab in a red wine reduction, and the slow-braised venison, a study in gamey goodness with hints of cinnamon and cloves.



One of the biggest selling items at Drago Santa Monica is the pappardelle al fagiano, thick flat noodles served with roasted pheasant and morels. According to chef/owner Celestino Drago, it’s popular with women and other diners who normally order chicken but want to mix it up a bit. He says, “It makes a statement on the menu.”



If the overwhelming hospitality at Mercato di Vetro is any indication, SBE may have finally found the right formula for the space that was Foxtail in its first incarnation, and was more recently M16. Featured amongst a menu of antipasti and small plates is the free-range game hen, which is nicely offset with a cannellini bean puree, plus capers and garlic.



Taberna Mexicana is pushing the boundaries for upscale Mexican food, especially for tony Beverly Hills. The flavors are big and bold, yet refreshingly restrained when it comes to heavy ingredients. The enchiladas with roasted rabbit are plated more like lasagna and aren't needlessly bombarded with cheese or sour cream. According to chef Alex Padilla, “Rabbit in general has a very delicate flavor profile, and if we added cheese to the dish it would dominate the plate, losing the perfect match of the pipian sauce (green mole) with the toasted pumpkin seeds."



At The Fix Burger, fans of the late ostrich burger may lament the distributor’s sourcing issues, but the bird has been replaced with wild boar. Purists should be advised the restaurant can’t cook it below medium well. That said, the O.G. menu staple buffalo burger (like the beef) comes out as bloody as requested. And buffalo is healthier than beef, with only about half the fat and cholesterol.



Little Dom’s is a Los Feliz favorite for late-rising neighborhood writers and Bohemians during the week, and even later-risers on weekends. Here, the morning pork fix comes in the form of wild boar bacon, which chef/co-owner Brandon Boudet selects for its “much meatier flavor and texture.” Order it with a boiled ‘egg soldier’ or two, or wait till lunch, when the grilled meat adds richness to the al dente house-made linguini carbonara.

LA has always had its share of sausage places, but Wurstküche took downtown by storm when it opened in 2008. An entire section of the menu is dedicated to “exotics,” and it doesn’t get more exotic than rattlesnake-and-rabbit, though the duck and bacon is far from ordinary.



In typical “Animal-style,” Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook wouldn’t be content just serving regular filets or whole Dover sole on the eclectic menu at their latest venture, a seafood restaurant where dishes like alligator schnitzel pack them to the gills on Third Street. The gator meat is pounded thin, deep-fried, then plated with a citrus mayo and vanilla-lime butter.



A sign out in front of Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine boldly boasts that it offers “the best yak chili in Los Angeles.” Indeed, the Colorado-raised beef is something special. It's not technically game meat, but close enough to make the cut. The dish is surprising: more complex than most American renditions of chili, with a bold mix of ginger, garlic, onions, tomato and bell pepper. Spice levels can be adjusted, but those who request it “very spicy” should be prepared for an intense rush from the red Nepalese chilies, which start hot but still smolder in the after taste. Fortunately, fluffy white rice comes on the side for heat absorption.



The ground duck laab salad at Krua Siri actually makes Tara’s aforementioned yak chili seem mild by comparison. Even those with a high heat tolerance are advised to pace out their bites, lest the runaway spice-level get the best of them. The quail “garlic bird” starter can take a bit of work to bite around the bones, and though it's pungent is nowhere near as hot as that salad.


BOA
9200 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 310.278.2050
www.boasteak.com/balboa/index.htm

Drago Santa Monica
2628 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 310.828.1585
www.celestinodrago.com/DragoSantaMonica/

The Fix
2520 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake, 323.661.8494
thefixburger.com

Krua Siri
5103 Hollywood Blvd., Thai Town, 323.660.6196
kruasirithaicuisine.com

Little Dom’s
2128 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz, 323.661.0055
www.littledoms.com

Mercato di Vetro
9077 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, 310.859.8369
www.sbe.com/mercatodivetro

Next Door by Josie
2420 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, 310.581.4201
www.nextdoorbyjosie.com

Patina
141 South Grand Ave., Downtown LA, 213.972.3331
www.patinarestaurant.com/home.php

Piccolo
5 Dudley Ave., Venice, 310.314.3222
www.piccolovenice.com

The Royce
1401 South Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena, 626.585.6410
www.roycela.com

Saddle Peak Lodge
419 Cold Canyon Rd,, Calabasas, 818.222.3888
www.saddlepeaklodge.com

Son of a Gun
8370 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, 323.782.9033
sonofagunrestaurant.com

Taberna Mexicana
369 North Bedford Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.858.7070
tabernamexicana.com/home.asp

Tara’s Himalayan
10855 Venice Blvd, West L.A., 310.836.9696
www.tarashimalayancuisine.com

Wurstküche
800 E 3rd St, Downtown, 213.687.4444
www.wurstkuche.com

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